and hath this assurance Math. 6. secke first the Kingdome of heauen c. fifthly it is no ill time to pray when wee finde our soules disposed with much alacrity thereunto and lastly the holy Sabaoths and other solemne seasons are fit time to bee wholy spent in prayer 2 A place is also to bee chosen for this holy worke and what place more fit then that more secret and freer from the tumults of the world what place beside the house of God which is the house of prayer fitter then our priuate chambers that God hearing in secret may reward vs openly 3 Is required compunction sorrow and repentance for our sinnes together with mortification of the members of the body for the more wee profite heerein the better shall wee speed in all our prayers 4 The safe keeping our senses chiefly the tongue the eye and eare for the curiosity of hearing and seeing is the beginning of all distractions and aboue all things hinders deuotion but the immoderate lauish of the tongue is much more hurtfull Abstinence and fasting of all outward meanes brings the greatest helpes to pray aright experience shewes in our owne bodies that the body being filled with meates is made vnapt and so makes vnapt the Spirit to exercise her functions therefore hee that by prayer desires to bee vnited to God must be sober in meate and drinke and haue great care both of the quantity quality and manner of eating to the end that as much as may bee hee may represse and mortifie sensuality and to perswade himselfe as nothing is more true that the man who is giuen to take the solaces and pleasures of the flesh shall neuer attaine to learne aright the practise of prayer seeing the flesh and the Spirit are so aduersant one to another But this sobriety is chiefly required at Supper that the minde in the morning may bee the freer to the exercises of deuotion 6 Often re-collection of a mans selfe and cogitation of the presence of God euen in the midst of a mans outward businesse and to this end often to vse iaculatory and short prayers for vsing this when the set time of prayer comes hee shall not much need any other disposition whereas on the contrary hee that is much distracted when the time of prayer growes on shall hardly exclude the multitude of cogitations that then will thrust themselues vpon him This multitude of businesse is one of the greatest impediments to prayer for whilst a man is diuided thus pretious time slips away distraction gets possession of the mind and so the minde becomes altogether dry to spirituall and heauenly thingss 7 And as the mortifying and brideling of the outward sences is necessary so is the mortification of the inward passions therefore hee that prayes must take â—eed of all vnquietnesse trouâ—â—ednesse griefe and all inordinate affection towards any creature and labour to keepe himselfe in the true inward peace of the Soule and Spirit and to make such account heereof that for nothing in this world hee would loose it 8 Adde vnto these the reading of godly and deuout books as the vn-deuided companion of prayer where first the holy Scripture must haue precedence of all others and amongst these chiefly the foure Euangelists the Epistles of Paul Peter Iames and Iohn Iob the Prouerbes Ecclesiastes and other Canonicall bookes of Scripture secondly not to bee inconstant now reading one and then another but to continue the booke begunne vntill it bee ended except it bee to auoide tediousnesse or vpon occasion of some temptation or for that the minde may bee at that time better disposed to that booke then another and then the course may bee changed so that they returne againe to the former book thirdly they must come to reade with a right intention not of curiosity or meere desire of knowing not to adorne their tongue but first to stirre vp the minde in deuotion and to profite in the Spirit secondly they must not reade hastily but slowly and deuoutly that the words read may be ruminated chewed thirdly if any excellent or profitable sentence bee fallen vpon there to stay a while and ponder it adding some short prayer fourthly the more elegant sentences are to bee noted in the memory or committed to writing that when need is there may bee vse made of them And for the time that is to bee allowed to this reading first it must bee when the minde feeles any appetite or inclination to reading secondly when the minde is dry and deuoide of deuotion thirdly on the Sabaoths and solemne feasts fourthly before and after the holy Communion fiftly oft-times also before prayer and meditation that the minde may bee stirred vp to deuotion and finde matter of meditation 9 Discretion is heere very auaileable not to vexe the heart with drawing out of teares or sitting one the knees till one bee tired but sweetely and humbly to behaue ones selfe saying with the Prophet I will heare what the Lord God will say concerning mee Besides as to all other actions so to this it behoueth to bring a right intention that they do not seek themselues and their owne taste and consolation but the onely honour and good pleasure of God 10 Simplicity must not bee wanting for such as doe not curiously seeke themselues are most capable of heauenly illuminations Nor humility and reuerence as well outward as inward whereby a man puts himselfe before God in body and minde remembring himselfe to bee euer in the presence of his Diuine Maiesty and ioyne heereunto purity of conscience and sanctimony of life Math. 5. for these haue a promise to see God Hence it is that who are of a loose conscience and regard not slight faults do neuer profite in prayer 11 Lastly to conferre with godly and deuoute men is of much vse for such conferences of deuotion do inflame the mind as wee reade of the Disciples talking with Iesus as they went to Emaus of the Mysterie of our redemption Luk. 24. their hearts burned within them For who neglecting such holy conferences delight to spend the time in other relations neuer come to the grace of praying aright So that to end this point two things aboue all other are necessary to him that will benefite by prayer first diligent preparation before prayer of which something shall be said anon secondly perseuerance in prayer with great trust in God and diffidence in ones selfe till the last gaspe with no difficulties to bee interrupted for we must euer pray and neuer wax faint Luk. 18. Now ensues the discouery of the points following namely what wee are to doe before in and after prayer First therefore before prayer it is necessary that euery one diligently prepare themselues Syr. 18. and not to bee as one that tempteth God for when wee pray wee must enter into our chambers euen the secret chambers of our hearts and dispose things there before we pray This preparation consists in these
not properly require it but the whole thing it selfe without the helpe of any representation is done by the vnderstanding And according to these two manners of meditation the presence of God is distinguished first an imaginary presence according to the first kinde of meditation secondly an intellectuall presence according to the second kinde Now the presence of God is a certaine application of the minde and affection to God and heauenly things conceiued either after an imaginary or intellectuall manner which application is most necessary in all our Meditations Now come we to shew those two things which I said before were principall helpes to those that would meditate aright and those are the matter and methode or forme of meditation 1 That wee may not be destitute of most fit matter to bee taken into our meditations briefly suruey these points following as most necessary subiects to exercise our holy meditations vpon 1. meditate vpon those foute ineuitable Destinies and Diuine Determinations of God concerning Man Death Iudgement Hell torments and Heauens glory 2. of the vanity of this whole world and the most glorious things therein and the infinite miseries of mans life 3. Meditate on the sins of thy fore-spent life 4. On the Life Passion and Death of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the Mysteries of his most holy Supper and Sacrament instituted of him to put vs in mind of these 5. On the benefits of God past present and to come 6. On the blessed Virgin all the Saints in glory 7. On all vertues and vices but especially such vertues whereof thou findest thy soule most barren such vices to which thou knowest thy selfe most inclined 8. The book of the creatures 9. The Diuine perfections Attributes of God as his mercy iustice wisedome c. 10. All the sacred Scripture but chiefly the 4. Euangelists and book of the Psalmes 11. The Lords Prayer ten commandements the Creed 12. Thou maist meditate on all things contained in the whole body of Christian doctrine from the one end of the Catechisme to the other Besides thou maist often meditate to what end this noble Creature Man and this glorious frame of the world was made for that is the foundation of all our saluation and perfection and that it shall not heerein bee amisse to follow the wisedome and direction of our Church insisting in her steps for our helpe in this godly exercise This wee shall doe if on the solemne daies of prayer and holy exercises wee shall diligently weigh with our selues such Mysteries of Religion as are on those daies proposed to bee reade and expounded to the people If on the Feasts of the Saints of God we reuolue in our mindes their liues deaths vertues and memorable actes together with the glory they haue now happily attained If vpon the Aduents of our Lord Iesus Christ wee shall duely consider the Mysteries of his holy Incarnation and Natiuity If in and during the Lent wee seriously meditate on the holy Gospels appointed to bee reade daily If vpon the Lords day wee consider with our selues the resurrection of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ or the generall resurrection of all men and the happinesse which those that die in the Lord shall attaine vnto which the Lords day doth represent vnto vs or the benefites of God or the Gospell of that day or doe so dispose of these foure points that euery month containing foure Lords dayes wee at once performe these allotting vnto euery Lords day these seuerall points If also on such daies wherein wee receiue the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper wee enter into diligent meditation of the Mysteries of that heauenly Sacrament or of the passion and death of the Lord Iesus whereof that was instituted a memoriall If at such seasons as these and also when wee shall haue beene present at Sermons wee presently after or within a conuenient time enter into meditation and repetition of things heard and conceiued then shall wee make right vse of the Churches wisedome and direction and finde most apt matter for meditation And let vs know this withall that euery Christian ought very often to handle and meditate on that vertue which hee knowes himselfe to stand most in need of and on that vice which he chiefly desires to haue extinguished in himselfe for as the body doth more desiringly seeke after and more profitably and readily digest those meats which are most pleasant and agreeable to the palate and taste in like manner the soule should more frequently meditate and as it were feed it selfe with those things which are to it more tastefull profitable for I am fully perfwaded that the rule of Phisitions is as true in spiritual things as in coporall quod sapit nutrit That which is sauory to the taste is nourishing to the stomacke Onely to end this point let these three things be obserued in the matter of Meditation first that great care bee vsed in the beginning of euery week or month in preparing of fit and sufficient matter of meditation which may serue for that whole time secondly if it so fall out any day that iust occasion of changing our appointed matter of meditation be offered as Sermons or solemne exercises of prayer and the like then wee must deferre the meditation of that day vntill the next day following thirdly albeit there is much benefite arising from a setled course of prefixing to our selues certaine matters to bee meditated on from weeke to weeke and month to month yet may euery one meditate on other matters in one the same day and because these few matters of meditation following seeme to bee more profitable and necessary to euery Christian then the rest euery Christian may besides other matters of meditaon take euery weeke these in order into his meditation namely first to meditate on Monday vpon death secondly on Tuesday vpon the last iudgement thirdly on Wednesday vpon the torments of hell fourthly on Thurseday vpon the glory of heauen fifthly on Friday vpon the Passion of Christ sixthly on Saturday vpon his sinnes and seuenthly on the Lords day vpon the benefites of God bestowed on Man-kinde Thus hauing briefly laid open the chiefe subiects and matters of euery Christian meditation it is required that wee descend to the second consideration namely the methode and forme of Meditation for it is to small purpose it a man haue neuer so many good materials for building if hee want the skill to vse them in building and little benefite or none is had by knowing the matters whereon wee ought to meditate vnlesse we also know the manner how to meditate on them Ambr. For Ignorantia ordinis modi quibus operandum est plurimum turbat meriti qualitatem The ignorance of the order and manner wherewith a man must work doth very much trouble the quality of a mans desert nor is it to bee thought that wee haue attained the full knowledge of any thing albeit we know what wee
sinnes of one man and no more who can bee so ignorant meditating this but easily will arise from the dungeon of despaire and in the midst of his heart conceiue vn-repellable hope This reason is able not onely to giue health to the sicke but life to the dead 3 Reason Besides the most vnspeakeable loue of God exhibited to vs in Christ who is the foundation of our hope Christ himselfe hath spoken in the Gospell many things to stirre vp our hope Aske and you shall receiue c. But aboue all that I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall aske beleeue that you shall receiue it and it shall be done vnto you These words to stirre vp our minds and beget hope are most forcible I say vnto you As if Christ had giuen his Obligation for the truth of it to bind himselfe to vnworthy man requiring onely this condition of vs that wee hold a good opinion and faith of his goodnesse that hee will giue vs what wee aske And how consonant to reason is this Is there any Prince that promising faithfully hee will giue to some that aske him a peece of siluer so they aske faithfully that performes no this promise Or doe any doubt of it that are wise If then that most high Potentate of heauen and earth that cannot loofe any of his riches nay who the more hee giues tho richer hee is do promise to giue to them that aske faithfully being able to do what hee list with a beck Who is so mad that doth not vndoubtedly hope and aske nay which doth aske and doth not obtaine Now then if God who is most propense to doe good as the first reason prooues and of his owne accord sent his Son his onely begotten Son deliuering him to most bitter death that I might by him obtaine what I aske as appeares in the second reason And to conclude the Son of God himselfe both God and Man my Redeemer haue bound himselfe by promise most ample and most worthy of himselfe to giue vnto mee what I faithfully aske as in the third reason it must needs follow that I must not onely swerue from all Christianity but euen from the right vse of reason or else most constantly hope for the eternall good things of saluation which I pray for The Fourth Daies Iourney of the Soule to Heauen is Holinesse of Life THIS indeed is the full complement of all the rest to heare the word with iudgement to meditate vpon Diuine Mysteries with diligence and to pray vnto God with deuotion are to small purpose except there follow practise and application of all these in the life Our labour then must bee in this discourse first to giue some generall precepts how to acquire those vertues that helpe to the sanctification of life and to roote vp the vices which hinder the increase of godlinesse in our hearts Secondly to propose a daily methode of practising such holy duties as being performed will make our whole liues a sweete smelling Sacrifice to God 1 The ignorance of a sure methode and meanes to beget the seeds of vertues in mans heart is the cause that so few do arriue at the Hauen of Perfection in any measure Insomuch that hardly shall one finde one man in all his life that hath attained to any competent habite of any one vertue All vertues as the learned doe well obserue are either infused into the soule by the onely grace of God which giueth all good things or else are acquired by the industry and labour of man being helped therevnto by the grace of Gods holy Spirit for the obtaining of which let him consider these points following 1 Hee that will attaine to any vertue as humility or the like must know these fiue things to be very necessary 1 An earnest and great desire of that vertue which is ingendred first by pondering the glorious beauty nobility excellency and necessity of that vertue secondly how it pleaseth God that a man be adorned with that vertue thirdly what examples and admonitions Christ left of that vertue fourthly how displeasing and detestable to God the contrary vice is fifthly how farre I am yet from that vertue and what is the cause of it 2 Prayer whereby with most earnest supplications he must beg that vertue of God 3 Frequent meditations vpon that vertue in which hee must reuolue with himselfe these foure points first how pleasing this vertue is to God secondly how excellent in it selfe thirdly how necessary to mans saluation fourthly what worthy benefites and fruites it briugeth with it 4 A continuall exercise and vse as well of the inward as outward acts of that vertue 5 Examination whereby to discusse himselfe daily touching his defects against this vertue 2 Albeit all vertues are desireable yet the more easily to gaine the habite of them wee must take some one by the space of a month or as shall bee needfull wherein to exercise our selues and so long to frequent the actes thereof vntill wee haue gained some habite therein else wee shall hardly euer come to a wished end 3 Before all things those vertues are most to bee loued and laboured for which are of most moment and which euery one knowes to bee most necessary for him the rest by little and little are to bee sought for And surely to speake generally two vertues seeme to bee chiefest and most necessary for all men Humility and Charity 4 It is profitable in acquiring of vertues to reade some booke or chapter writing of that vertue we propose to our selues and of the contrary vice 5 And it will bring no small furtherance to gather some choice sentences from Scriptures and Fathers and prophane Writers to be committed to memory and and often to bee repeated 6 Lastly it is most profitable to propose the example of some Saints of God who haue excelled in that vertue but chiefly the example of Iesus Christ to bee imitated But before I depart from these instructions how to acquire necessary vertues for sanctification of life let mee reueale vnto you the rules of two deuout and learned men which they aduise to bee obserued in this affaire The one is Saint Bernard who giues two rules very profitable for the attaining vnto perfection Ber. libel de formula Hon. vitae If saith hee thou wilt fully obtaine what thou entendest two things are necessary First that thou with-draw thy selfe from all transitory and earthly things that thou regard them no more then if they were not Secondly that thou so giue vp thy selfe to God as that thou neither say nor doe any thing but that which thou constantly beleeuest is pleasing vnto God 1 The first thou shalt by this meanes attaine vnto 1 By all meanes which thou art able to doe thou shalt vilifie thy selfe reputing thy selfe to be nothing and beleeuing all other men to bee good better then thy selfe and more pleasing vnto God 2 Whatsoeuer thou shalt heare or see in men professing Religion except it bee